February, 1936
T H E
K I N G ' S
B U S I N E S S
52
Courtesy, N. Y. K. Line
Jinsaburo SPEAKS HIS MIND B y OPAL LEONORE GIBBS
As my family are Buddhist, the priest had arrived to shave the head o f the carcass and put on him white clothses. As these symbolize pure future life, I was torn in my heart over the unlikeness, for we all understood how my father loved many girls in the Licensed Quarters o f Osaka. Many relatives had come, so as new master of the house, I was busied to receive them all with courteous and gravity, and do not know all that transpired in the room o f death. Mother said afterwards they placed his officer’s army sword in the box beside him, and the paper monies, of course. I wished deeply for Pastor Fujimoto or my friend, Hayashi San, to pray as possible instead o f such long loud noises from the priest and his assistant. When the burning had been finished, the bones were gathered into a funeral jar and left in our house for many days. Finally the jar was buried, and there were more ceremonies at the temple. Now the wood tablets with my father’s new name engraved thereon, are lying in the shrine on the shelf of our sacred place. I have strong feelings about bowing before it and begged mother to please excuse me, telling her boldly I have become Christian. But I explained to her that I will give honor to father’s memory by being exemplary son. She said nothing, but gazed at me with strange eyes. In fact, her mind seemed much distorted. As days passed by, she grew more distressing and cried out sometimes with screaming. My brother and sister look ed at me with fearing eyes, so I resolved to apply to her, psychology principles, with prayer also. “ Mother,” I said to her, “ you are causing much shame upon us with crying and screaming and loosing hold of your spirit. Now I am your oldest son, and as I feel much responsibility for the household life, I shall fast from bating until you have be come calm again.” So for three days I fasted with greatest difficulty, and she grew more and more quiet until I felt she was cured and I could eat again. Since then she has been as other women, calm and reposeful, and I thanked to God heartily for my mother’s restoration. But all the time o f the funeral ceremonies, my neck stretched out to the time of the family council. It was held in August at last with any uncles and aunts present. Now indeed, I was to learn when the preparations could be made for such momentous journey. But alas! Alack! To my bitter sorry, disappointment grappled with my soul. The family fortunes seemed not at all distended, and Uncle’s fan shop in Tokyo was in need o f better clerk than at present. I feel that my mother did not so approve o f my becoming only a clerk in shop, though it is very old, conservative place on the Ginza in Tokyo city. [Continued on page 64]
T okyo , O ctober 1 st D a y . I t is now Sunday, the day o f God, and I wish to transcribe about the church meeting. However, I think it should first be recorded how I make again beginning to write my Journal. Last spring I was proudly graduated from the Higher English School o f Kanda, after which I desired strongly to travel at large in America and matriculate at some university there, perhaps Harvard or Yale. Since I had become Christian and learned to pray the true God, I asked with all my heart and life that He would grant such priceless boon as going to America. Always from very small childhood I haye wished for this time and longed to journey to this gréât and rich country. My father in Osaka was become ill at this time quite suddenly, so I expressed to my uncle about ;going to America, but he glowered doubtful eyes at me over his spectacles. Then he said he would speak o f it in family council, but that I must to wait patiently until Father was recovered. I do not like patiently waiting about things o f importance, but as I was ensconcing myself in such frame o f mind,' a telegram came from my home in Osaka. In it was written “Father-become-worse-return.” So I filled my clothses into the kori [basket trunk] and boarded the train that same evening. What thoughts and feelings were mine as I sped for ward in the darkling night! I did not even begin to be angered when a lumpish fellow lay on the seat beside me and pushed one big foot into my lap as he slept with mouth wide shut. I:'could not sleep at all but leaned my hot head against the window side and prayed to God. Sometime during that night my father died away, and When I arrived to home next day and saw the mourning card fastened to the formal door of our house, I thought : Was his soul losted forever? If only .some good mission ary had acquainted his boyhood, as Mr: Stuart McEdward had become friend to me, perhaps he Would now be living Christian gentleman. [A missionary in Japan for many years, Mrs. Gibbs has been in close touch with Japanese young people. “Jinsaburo” is a young man whom she knows well, and the diary that bears his name offers a true picture o f Japan as it is seen by a university student who has majored in English. Two years ago, Mrs. Gibbs’ contri bution, “Jinsaburo’s Journal,” appeared in three issues of the K in g ’ s B usiness , and dealt mainly with the winning to Christ of young people in Japan. Having accepted the Lord Jesus as his Saviour, Jinsaburo found that there was much to learn in the new life upon which he had entered. With great pride in his English vocabulary, this ambitious young Japanese now speaks his mind— with delightful ignorance of peculiarities in phrasing and spelling. His writing will be continued in two other issues of the K ing ’ s B u siness .— Editor.]
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